UN-11

Introducing UN-11, a rare cut of the Swiss classic by Adrian Frutiger faithfully digitized and carefully re-engineered for today’s typographic universe. In 1961, IBM unveiled the Selectric Typewriter, featuring a revolutionary type ‘golf ball’ that replaced the traditional typebar mechanism. To expand their font catalog and promote this new technology, IBM enlisted Adrian Frutiger to adapt his iconic Univers, modifying it to suit the machine’s specific constraints and metrics. The result was an alternate version of Univers with unit-based spacing, marking an exciting and distinct departure from conventional monospaced type. To Frutiger, the font’s charmingly uneven rhythm uniquely combined mechanical precision with a human touch. Today, UN-11’s idiosyncrasies stand out in a world of polished interfaces, rounded corners, and total easing. [sourcetype.com]

For a related effort, see Jens Kutilek’s article: Reviving the IBM Selectric Composer Fonts.